The White House signalled that President Donald Trump is weighing carrying out new strikes on Iran as the U.S. presses for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abide by terms set out in a truce agreement the two sides forged last month, only to quickly collapse.

There were no U.S. strikes on Iran overnight, but Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said on Friday (July 31, 2026) it had struck another two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and Kuwait said it intercepted drones.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the U.S. administration’s frustration anew, charging that Tehran last month signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. on a truce but then quickly “broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers”.

“President Trump is not going to stand by and allow this terrorist behaviour to occur,” Ms. Leavitt said in a statement on Friday (July 31) evening. “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.” Ms. Leavitt issued the fresh warning after Mr. Trump earlier on Friday told reporters that “we just want to win” in Iran and signalled that he expected U.S. military action to continue for some time.

“We’ll be hitting them very hard,” Mr. Trump said in an exchange with reporters during a meeting with members of his Cabinet at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. “You know, at some point they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’” Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed on Friday that it will disarm in a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza, but major obstacles remain.

The new attacks by ​the U.S. on Iran were “absolutely necessary”, NATO ‌Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday (July 8, 2026).

The ​U.S. military unleashed a ⁠new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) and revoked a license allowing Tehran to ‌sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the ‌Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on ‌an ⁠already fragile ceasefire.

“When you have ⁠a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that ​the U.S. forcefully react,” ‌Mr. Rutte told reporters before a summit of NATO leaders in Ankara.

At their summit, European leaders aim to convince President Donald Trump ‌to re-commit to the military ​alliance, after the U.S. President revived his disputes with them over ⁠the Iran-war and Greenland.

Mr. Rutte said there could be no doubt over the “complete commitment of ‌the United States to NATO”, which he said also works to protect the United States.

“But there’s also the expectation that the Europeans and the Canadians will equalise their spending with the ‌United States, which I think is completely fair,” ​he added.

“The good news is that this is the big ⁠win today. It’s the loss for President Putin, it ⁠is a win for President Trump that the Europeans and the ‌Canadians are doing exactly that.” said Mr. Rutte.

Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early deals on Thursday (June 11, 2026), tracking weak trends in global equities and rising crude oil prices amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

Also read: West Asia war updates on June 11, 2026

Unabated foreign fund outflows and a spike in U.S. inflation also dented markets’ sentiment, according to market analysts.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 358.54 points to 73,624.64 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 117 points to 23,098.30.

From the 30-Sensex firms, HCL Tech, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services, Eternal and Trent were among the laggards.

Power Grid, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel and InterGlobe Aviation were among the winners.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 1.70% higher at $94.68 per barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹2,124.98 crore on Wednesday (June 10, 2026), according to exchange data.

“Fresh military action by the United States against Iranian targets has reignited concerns over the stability of the Middle East, raising fears that recent diplomatic efforts may be losing momentum and increasing the risk of a broader regional conflict,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth-tech firm, said.

Adding to the cautious mood, the latest U.S. inflation data, while broadly in line with market expectations, showed consumer prices rising to their highest level in three years, he added.

In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index were quoted lower.

U.S. markets ended significantly lower on Wednesday (June 10, 2026).

“Wall Street witnessed a sharp correction overnight, with the Dow Jones falling over 950 points. The weakness was broad-based as investors moved away from risk assets amid fears that escalating geopolitical tensions could disrupt energy markets and keep inflationary pressures elevated,” Hariprasad K, Research Analyst and Founder, Livelong Wealth, said.

Asian markets are reflecting a similar sentiment this morning, he said.

“For Indian markets, the biggest concern remains crude oil. Rising oil prices not only threaten India’s inflation trajectory but also add pressure on the fiscal balance, corporate margins and the rupee,” Hariprasad added.

On Wednesday (June 10, 2026), the Sensex trimmed most of its intraday gains during the fag-end of trading and settled 64.42 points, or 0.09%, higher at 73,983.18. The Nifty, however, dipped 27.15 points, or 0.12%, to end at 23,214.95.

Iran’s military command said on Thursday (June 11, 2026) it will target any ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, after it struck two vessels attempting to pass through the strategic waterway.

“Any vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted” the Khatam al-Anbiya command said, according to Tasnim news agency, adding that the strait is now “completely closed to all types of vessel”, following fresh U.S. airstrikes against Iran.

The Iranian navy, quoted by state television IRIB and the Mehr agency, said that “two ships attempting to illegally pass through the Strait of Hormuz were hit”.

New rounds of U.S. airstrikes against Iran

The U.S. military said on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) night that it has begun fresh round of strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump said more were coming. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Mr. Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations.

U.S. Central Command said in a social media post that the military is striking “multiple targets in Iran” and that it’s being done “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression”.

The strikes come a day after the U.S. struck Iran following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that Mr. Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic.

Mr. Trump urged Iran to sign a deal to end the war.

Earlier on Wednesday (June 10), the U.S. military said it had fired on an oil tanker attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of its blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran’s United Nations envoy said the U.S. should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.

“Iran has never negotiated under threats and pressure and will never submit to pressure or question,” Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

(With inputs from AP, AFP)

The U.S. military said on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) night that it has begun fresh round of strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump said more were coming. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Mr. Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations.

U.S. Central Command said in a social media post that the military is striking “multiple targets in Iran” and that it’s being done “in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression”.

The strikes come a day after the U.S. struck Iran following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that Mr. Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic.

Mr. Trump urged Iran to sign a deal to end the war.

Earlier on Wednesday (June 10), the U.S. military said it had fired on an oil tanker attempting to transport oil from Iran in violation of its blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran’s United Nations envoy said the U.S. should refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.

“Iran has never negotiated under threats and pressure and will never submit to pressure or question,” Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

The U.S. military said it carried out “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely”.

The strikes were done “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”, but the military was “using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire”, Capt. Tim Hawkins, U.S. Central Command spokesman, said in a statement on Monday (May 25, 2026).

Further details were not immediately available, including more specifics on the threats from Iran and what this means for negotiations. Earlier, Mr. Trump said any agreement to end the Iran war should include a requirement for several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered agreements from Trump’s first term aimed at normalising relations with Israel.

The proposal came as the emerging Iran deal faced criticism from fellow Republicans who favour a harder line on Iran, and it could add new diplomatic complications to the negotiations.

Mr. Trump pointed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as countries that should “immediately” sign on, alongside Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first countries to join in 2020.

He wrote that “after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords”.

Mr. Trump has long hoped Saudi Arabia would join, but the kingdom has maintained that any normalisation deal requires first establishing a clear path for Palestinian statehood. That’s also key for Pakistan, which is among the countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Islamabad-based analyst Syed Mohammad Ali said Pakistan’s position on Israel remains unchanged despite Trump’s latest proposal.

The President said he brought up the Abraham Accords plan with leaders during negotiations on Saturday (May 23, 2026). He said he would accept “one or two” countries declining to sign, but said most should be willing. Egypt and Jordan already formally recognise Israel and have long-standing peace treaties. Turkey first recognised Israel in 1949.

Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United States, said it remains to be seen how workable the proposal might be for the countries on Mr. Trump’s list.

“The invocation of the Abraham Accords at this stage gives an altogether new dimension to the diplomatic and mediatory processes because this issue was not on the agenda,” he said, pointing to the domestic pressure Trump is facing to strike a favourable deal.

Still, Mr. Khan said, “the diplomatic track is still working, and I believe Pakistan is very much at the center of it, supported by regional countries”.

It remains unclear when or how any deal with Iran might be completed. Mr. Trump suggested even Iran could eventually sign on to the accords, if an agreement is reached.

The accords are a series of diplomatic, economic and security agreements created with U.S. influence during Trump’s first term, originally between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by Sudan, Morocco, and, more recently, Kazakhstan.

They were framed as an effort to promote cooperation among countries in West Asia and North Africa, and the administration saw them as partly paving a path toward full ties with Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday (May 2, 2026) he had been told about the concept of a deal with Iran, but was waiting ‌for the exact wording, while warning there was still the possibility of restarting strikes on the country if ​Tehran misbehaves. A senior Iranian official said on Saturday (May 2, 2026) that an Iranian proposal so far rejected by Mr. Trump ⁠would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. blockade of Iran while leaving talks on Iran’s nuclear program for later.

When asked about Iran’s proposal before boarding a flight to Miami at West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr. Trump replied: “They told me about the concept of the ‌deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer to step down, the Pentagon said on Thursday (April 2, 2026) without giving a reason for the departure as the United States wages a war against Iran.

Gen. Randy George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately,” said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson. Mr. George has held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden administration.

The ouster, reported earlier by CBS News, is just the latest of more than a dozen firings of top generals and admirals by Mr. Hegseth since he took office last year. Like many of those other firings, Pentagon officials are not offering a reason for George’s departure, which comes nearly five weeks into U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and with no clear timeline from President Donald Trump on when the war may end.

Mr. George is a graduate of West Point Military Academy and an infantry officer who served in the first Gulf War as well as Iraq and Afghanistan. He also served as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s top military aide from 2021 to 2022 during the Biden administration before taking on top leadership roles in the Army.

Mr. George made it through the initial round of firings under the Trump administration in February 2025, when Hegseth removed top military leaders, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, and Gen. Jim Slife, the No. 2 leader at the Air Force. Trump also fired Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Since then, more than a dozen other top military generals and admirals have either retired early or been removed from their posts.

Among these departures was George’s deputy, Gen. James Mingus, who was in the post of vice chief of staff of the Army for less than two years when Trump suddenly nominated Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve for the position. Mr. LaNeve was then serving as Mr. Hegseth’s top military aide, having been plucked for that post from commanding the Eighth Army in South Korea after less than a year in the job.

Mr. LaNeve will be stepping in as acting Army chief of staff, according to a Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it has been announced. It is a meteoric rise for an officer who was only a two-star general two years ago.

A spokesman for George could not be immediately reached for comment.

The shakeup comes as Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne division are heading to the West Asia along with thousands of Marines and other assets. The Trump administration has avoided questions about whether or not the U.S. military will deploy ground troops against Iran.

Iranian media said on Tuesday (March 31, 2026) airstrikes have put a desalination plant on Iran’s Qeshm island in the strategic Strait of Hormuz out of service, though the report did not specify when the attack took place.

Iran-Israel war: Follow LIVE updates on March 31, 2026

“One of the desalination plants on Qeshm Island was targeted… and is now completely out of service, as it is not possible to repair it in the short term,” the ISNA news agency reported, quoting Health Ministry official Mohsen Farhadi.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said a strike had taken place there on March 7, accusing the U.S. of a “blatant and desperate crime” launched from its military base in Bahrain.

Qeshm is the largest Iranian island in the Gulf, stretching for around 100 km across the Strait of Hormuz.

It has become a popular tourist destination in recent years for Iranians thanks to its rare UNESCO-listed rock formations and turquoise waters, but is also heavily militarised, analysts say.

There have been several attacks on desalination plants in the ongoing war, sparked by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Bahrain reported an Iranian strike on a facility on March 8, apparent retaliation for the U.S. hit on Qeshm the day before.

Kuwait reported an Iranian attack on a desalination and electricity plant on Monday (March 30, 2026), which Tehran blamed on Israel.

West Asia is among the driest regions in the world, with many countries dependent on desalination plants for domestic and industrial water supplies.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday (March 30, 2026) to “obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure, oil wells and “possibly all desalinization plants.”

That would likely draw a tit-for-tat reaction from Tehran that would escalate the conflict dramatically.

Desalinated water provides 42% of drinking water in the United Arab Emirates, 70% in Saudi Arabia, 86% in Oman and 90% in Kuwait, according to a 2022 report from the French Institute of International Relations think tank.

Some analysts have warned that Gulf states would see an attack on their critical water infrastructure as a reason to enter the war directly against Iran.

They have so far remained on the sidelines of the conflict, sustaining damage from Iranian attacks while hosting U.S. bases used for operations against the Islamic republic.